String-fastener.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. CHANDLER AND CHARLES L. CHANDLER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

STRING-FASTE NE R.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed October 1, 1907. Serial No. 395,400.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHAnLEs H. CHAND- LER and CHARLES L. CHANDLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in String-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to string-fasteners and especially to devices of this character which are intended for securing the lacings of shoes.

The object of our invention is the provision of simple and inexpensively constructed attachments for shoes, or other objects which are laced, and wherewith the strings'may be readily and reliably secured without the employment of knots.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of devices as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of a stringfastener embodying our invention and illustrated with a string engaged there by. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view of the same without the string. Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, are perspective views of the tongue and backing plate, such as are used in the device illustrated in the preceding views. Fig. 5 is a like view to Fig. 1 showing a modification in the manner of connecting the parts. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the tongue and backing plate modified to conform to the invention as assembled in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, which illustrate the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the numeral 10 represents a' hook as ordinarily used with laced shoes and, as common, it is secured to the slice-top 11 by riveting the inwardly protruding portion 15 which is punched from the hook-shank 12 over the inner surface of the shoe-top. In this instance, however, the portion 15 instead of being riveted immediately upon the top-leather is inserted through an aperture of a backing-plate 13 and riveted over the latter. This plate is placed upon the inside of the shoe and extends in a horizontal direction for some distance from the hook and has, in proximity of its remote end an aperture to receive an eyelet 21 whereby such end is rigidly secured to the shoe-top and also to tongue-member 14 upon the outside of the leather. beris of spring metal and formed with a flat end 14 which bears against the shoe and another flat end 14" which by offsetting through the bends 14 serves to normally bear against the underside of the hook-bill 10. The part 14" of the tongue member is apertured at 16 to accommodate the neck of the hook and is extended therebeyond and terminates ina head 18 with oppositely directed horns 19 formed by recesses 17 upon opposite sides of a neck 17 which is between .the head and main portions of the member.

The aforedescribed embodiment of the invention is that best adapted for use where the same is to be incorporated in a shoe prior to its leaving the manufactory. With shoes, however, which are already provided with hooks, the fastening attachments may be secured to the shoe in other ways so as not to disturb or loosen the hooks. According to such conditions, see Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, we form the plate 13 with a hooked end which is introduced through the eye of the hook-shank 12 and is secured by closing the plate-hook upon the intervening part of the shank and the shoe-top, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. The other end of the plate may be secured by an eyelet, as explained in the foregoing description of the preferred construction, or by insertin a tang 20 provided upon the end of the member 14 through an aperture 13 of the plate and bending such tang over the latter. This construction affords means whereby the fastening attachments'may be secured to a shoe by a person of ordinary ability.

To secure a lacing, or other string, A, with this device the string, see Fig. 1, is passed about the neck 17 of the ton ue-member 14, as at a, the free end is then ed, as at a, to cross and overlie the part a and, finally, inserting the end between the hook-bill 10 and the tongue-member 14. When a string is thus engaged the resilience of the tongue is sufiicient to prevent the accidental Withdrawal of the extremity of the string which, in turn, confines the underlying part upon the tongue-neck 17, and the greater the ten- This mem-.

sion put upon the string from the other part the greater will be the security of the fastening thereof.

The invention is useful in providing a means for readily securing lacings Without tying, and from which a string may be as readily loosened.

While the invention may be advantageously employed wherever laced shoes are used, it is notably valuable with childrens shoes in obviating the tying and untying of knots.

Having described our invention, what We claim, is

1. In a fastener of the character described,

'a tongue member formed of spring metal and having an aperture intermediate its length and recesses to one side thereof to provide a terminal head, combined with a fixedly-secured hook projecting through the aperture in said tongue member, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a fastener of the character described, a backing-plate formed with a hook at one end and an aperture in proximity of its other end, a tongue member provided. with a tang at one end for engagement with the plate through said aperture and having inte'rmediate its length an aperture, and a fixedly-sethrough which said hook extends and ex-.

tending to each side of the hook, and a backing-plate secured at one end to the shank of said hook and at the other end to an end of said member.

4. In a shoe-fastener, the combination with the lacing hook and a backing-plate, of a tongue member comprising a spring plate which is secured near one of its ends to the backing-plate and is provided with an aperture through which the neck of the hook extends, the part of the member which extends beyond the hook and opposite the end which is secured to said backing-plate being formed with recesses in its sides and in proximity of the extremity.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. CHANDLER. CHARLES L. CHANDLER. Witnesses:

HORACE BARNES, ROBT. B. GILLIEs. 

